Skin-to-skin contact: an easily implemented intervention to reduce perinatal complications and pain perception in a rural African community

To determine the effect of early Skin-to-Skin Contact (STSC) in a low-resource setting and to promote a correct educational training on STSC methodology among the hospital members. The research was performed at the Maternity ward of Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital of Kalongo, Infants were randomized immediately after birth either to receive early STSC or conventional care. During the 90 minutes’ observation we evaluated neonatal infant pain scale score during the vitamin K injection; infant breastfeeding assessment tool at the first breastfeeding; axillary temperature at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 minutes; heart rate and respiratory rate; newborn and mother’s blood glucose; time of placental delivery. Moreover the hospital staff were invited to complete an anonymous self-reported questionnaire to explore midwives and mothers’ perceptions of the benefits of this procedure and to understand the acceptance and barriers to STSC in an African community setting. The main results indicate that STSC has a positive effect on infant blood glucose and temperature stability, first breastfeeding, newborns’ pain, placental delivery and can reduce the stress associated with birth. The pilot study found that our adaptation of STSC for community-based implementation was quickly adopted and that it might be used immediately after birth as a beneficial clinical intervention to improve newborns health and survival.